Founded in 1977, Western Albemarle has produced nearly fifty years of graduates. This sizable alumni pool contains doctors, actors, Division 1 athletes, and one very special AP Government teacher: Western’s very own Mr. Walker Richmond.
Prior to his graduation in the spring of 1991, Richmond was deeply involved in many aspects of Western life. He was a member of the JV soccer team, a member of the varsity tennis team, and a frequent participant in theater and drama productions. He recalled his part in a freshman year performance of Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” which he said gave him the chance to experience the confidence-building camaraderie amongst the cast and crew.
Academically, Richmond’s favorite class was U.S. History. “I had an amazing teacher named Scovie Martin, and he really nurtured my curiosity about the past, and helped me understand how the past is relevant to the present,” he said. While teaching was never an interest of his in high school, Richmond credited his Western experience with opening his eyes to the educational profession: “I was very inspired by several of my teachers at Western, I’m sure they planted the seed of my eventual becoming a teacher.”…